Can opener



. 1,573,969 T. A. KILLMAN 01m OPENER Filed July 2 1925 Patented Feb. 23, 1926.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS A. KILLMAN, or NASHVILLE, mmmnssnn.

CAN OPENER.

Application filed July 2, 1925. Serial No. 41,116.

To ail whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. KILLMAN, a citizen of the United states residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can Openers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to can openersand more particularly to can openers of that type having a rotating cutting knife and a rotating feeding roller whereby the can is rotated to bring the same into engagement with the cutting knife.

An important object of the invention is the provision of means whereby the knurled feeding roller is maintained in firm engagement with the rim of the can at all times during the cutting operation so that the feeding is assured regardless of lack of uniformity in the can rim.

It is well known to those familiar with the art that can rims vary considerably in thickness and depth. It will be obvious that where the roller would maintain a tight engagement with the rim of one can and accordingly feed this can properly to the cutting knife, a second can engaged between the roller and cutting knife would be but lightly engaged by the feeding roller so that this feeding roller has a tendency to slip and will not overcome the resistance offered by the cutting'operation. As a matter of fact, these conditions are not necessarily limited to different cans as the rim of a single can may have portions which are relatively thick or deep and other portions which are thin or shallow, causing the difference in the feeding above referred to.

A further and more specific object of the invention is the provision of a hold-down spring for engaging against the can and forcing the same into engagement with the knurled edge of the feeding roller.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of such a hold-down spring so constructed and mounted that it does not interfere, to any appreciable extent, with the insertion of a can into the cutter or, if the cutter be of the dirigible type, with the application of the cutter to the can.

These and other objects I- attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein Figure I'is a side elevation of acan opener constructed in accordance with my invention showing a hold-down spring in the position which it assumes when engaged with the top of a can in full lines and in the position which it assumes when the can is removed in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the can opener showing the formation of the can'engaging portion of the hold-down spring; and

Figure 3 is a perspective of the hold-down spring removed.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which I have illustrated a can opener constructed in accordance with the disclosure of my prior application, Serial No. 1,223, filed January- 8, 1925, for can openers, the numeral 10 designates a support in which is journaled as at 11, a cutter roller 12. The support has likewise journaled therein a disk 13, the journal of which is eccentrically disposed, as indicated at 1 This disk is embraced by a yoke 15 engaging the shaft 16 which extends through a slot aligned with the pivot 11 of the cutter roller 12 and which has secured to one end thereof a feeding roller 17 and at the opposite end thereof a handle 18 whereby it may be rotated.

It will be obvious that by rotating the eccentric 13 through its handle 19, the feeding roller may be caused to approach and recede from the cutting roller. In its withdrawn position, a can may be inserted between the feeding and cutting rollers and after such insert-ion, by shifting the handle 19 to cause the feeding roller to approach the cutting roller, the cutter is forced through the top of the can and the feeding roller brought into engagement with theunder surface of the rim 20 of the can. All of this structure, as above described, is fully set forth in my prior application and forms no portion of this invention except in combination with the hold-down spring now to be described.

To provide a mounting for the hold-down spring, the support 10 is preferably provided with spaced studs 21 and 22. The hold-down spring has a relatively straight thereto a substantially U-shaped portion 25, the bight 26 of which is preferably arcu-' 'ately curved, as disclosed, and one arm 27 ofwhich provides a continuation of the vertically disposed portion 24 of the holddown spring. The opposite arm 28 has an inbent end portionflt), the extremity of which engages against the opposite face of the support 10 from the cutting roller 12 so that displacement of the free end of the U is prevented.

This U-shaped portion of the hold-down spring, when in normal position or in that position which it occupies when there is no can positioned in the cutter, inclines downwardly from its point of attachment to the angular portion 24 to the free end thereof and accordingly ofl'crs a slight resistance to the insertion of a can between the feeding and cutting rollers when these rollers are separated to the greatest possible egitent. This resistance is, however, veryslight. As the handle 19 is manipulated to cause the feeding roller to elevate and the cutter to pass through the top of the can, the resistance increases so that when the-feeding roller arrives at its feeding or operatic position, the tension of the spring is considerable and quite sufficient to provide the necessarytension preventing separation of the feeding roller and rim of the can.

In addition to its function as a holddown device, the spring acts as a guide to prevent oscillation of the can and the guid-.

ing influence exercised therebyis materially increased because of the tension applied to the can.

It will be obvious that the manner of mounting and constructing this guide may be considerably modified and. I accordingly do not limit myself to such specific structure as hereinbefore set forth except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim r -l. In combination with a can opener including feeding and cutting rollers and means for moving one of said rollers toward and away from the other of the. rollers, a spring associated with the rollers and engaging a can disposed between the rollers to force the same into operative engagement with the feeding roller. 2. In a can opener, a support, feeding and cutting rollers mounted" upon the support, one of' said rollers being adjustable toward and away from the other of the rollersto permit the insertion of a can therebetween and a spring carried by the support and cn- V gaging against an inserted can to force the inserted can into operative engagement with the feeding roller. V i

3. In a can open'er,'a support, feeding and cutting rollers carried by the support, means for adjusting the feeding roller toward and away from. the cutting roller and a spring carried by the supptn't and applying tension s carried by the supportand applying tension to a can operatively disposed between the cutting and feeding rollers to force the l'lIll of the same into operative engagement with the feeding roller, said spring, when said feeding and cutting rollers are separated to permit the insertion of a can, otl'ering but slight resistance to the insertion of the can.

5. In combination with a can opener ineluding. feeding and cutting rollers and means for moving one of said rollers toward and away from the other of the rollers, a guide associated with the rollers and engaging a can operatively positioned between the rollers to prevent oscillation thereof, said guide yieldably engaging the can to force the same into operative engagement with the feeding roller. 6. In combination with a can opener includ ng feeding and cutting rollers and means for moving one of said rollers toward 1 and away fromthe other of the rollers to 'permit insertion or removal of a can, a

yieldable guide associated with the rollers and engaging a can disposed therebetween to force thesame into operative engagement with the feeding roller.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

THOMAS A. KILLMAN. 

